Exhausting All Options
by TheRecorder
Summary: The Amen'osa attempted everything to enter Ryonfi to overthrow the unjust Ryanban. However, they arrived too late, their duty already carried out by an odd group of travellers. But...just what did they endure to attempt to save the oppressed townspeople?


I was watching the Tsubasa episodes and I came to the part where the Amen'osa are outside Ryonfi in the second world they landed in, and it struck me: Just what _did_go down outside that barrier? I know they had tried their hardest to get in so I decided to write about it. Since the Amen'osa didn't have even names, I assumed I could have artistic liberties. However, as Agate Kokoro so wonderfully pointed out to me, they would have the same names as their detective counterparts. So the light-haired one is Nokoru, the dark-haired one Akira, and the medium-colored haired one is Suoh.

If it's unclear, the honorifics relate to the relationship I created between them. In addition, I have given them my own personalities, quirks, etc. If the people across the dimensions have different personalities, I may have messed it up. However, find and replacing their names is far easier than rewriting the story. If you don't like it when punks like me warp minor characters to my twisted needs, I'm sorry. Please read it anyways. And review. Pleeease review. Thank you. Now, enjoy.

Ye gods, nearly forgot: I OWN NOTHING!!! Well, maybe their fake relationships and assumed personalities. Probably not even that much.

* * *

"Argh!" Nokoru slammed his fists once more against the barrier, earning him yet another shock to his already hurt hands.

"Just take a break," advised Suoh, "Let Akira-kun have a chance."

"It's no use!" he growled in response, "But...I just can't...!"

He pounded against the impenetrable wall once more. This time, the spark-like flare rose up to completely encase his fists and he stepped back with a grimace.

"None of us have any intention of giving up," Akira said sharply.

It wasn't that the three were angry at each other. No, all three knew each bore no ill will to his companions. However, all were frustrated to no end at their futile attempts at breaking through the magical barricade the Ryanban of the village had erected to keep them, the Amen'osa, out of his rule. They had arrived early that morning, before the sun had even risen, and now, many hours later, they'd yet made progress.

Akira approached the shield, arms raised, "Maybe if we try to enter slowly..."

Before he even touched the shield, magic, this time in a more fire-like form, curled out and captured his entire arms.

"Tsk." he whipped his hands away.

"Brute strength and calm demeanor will not be enough to break this barrier," Suoh told them.

"If that's true," Nokoru spun around, "Why don't you try, Suoh-san? You have the greatest magic, nearly the _only_ magic, among us."

Suoh sighed and stood up. He lifted his hands and took a stance. A sparkle extended from his fingertips and moved towards the wall. However, upon impact, the wall reacted violently. A huge tongue of flame whipped across him, followed by a immense shock of the electricity consuming his whole body.

"Uhh!" Suoh fell, landing hard on the rocky ground.

"Sempai!"

"Suoh-san!"

Akira and Nokoru raced to his side, but Suoh raised a hand, "Don't. I'm fine," he looked back at the barricade, now innocently smooth and unbroken, "It... just caught me by surprise."

Nevertheless, both helped him to his feet and Suoh sat down right where he had been not a moment before, apparently as though nothing had changed.

"Magic is usually the first thing these kind of shields guard against," he informed quietly, "It was unlikely I'd have achieved anything."

Nokoru looked from Suoh back to the barricade, "But...those people..."

"We have to help them!" Akira said desperately, "that Ryanban is probably-"

"Don't say it," Suoh interrupted sharply, "With precautions aimed so specifically to us like this, it is certain that Ryanban is harming the people of that town. We know this already and have seen what Ryanban even without such protections do to fellow human beings. But we never give up on people in need, and this is no different. However..."

"We are powerless," Nokoru concluded darkly, "Nothing we can do can breach it. Only if some chance of fate intervened could we possibly break through," he collapsed dejectedly next to Suoh, "Never have I felt so useless, not since before I was Amen'osa."

Suoh nodded. Akira turned away, "If only...if only something changed, even something small, just..."

"We would have a chance," Nokoru agreed, "even infinitesimal, the tides would change."

"Flow in our favor, no doubt," Suoh said softly, "Except..."

"We know," Nokoru said, "such a thing...the _likelihood_..."

"Impossible," Suoh stated bluntly, the word Nokoru had been avoiding, "To come across a flash of luck like that, it is all but impossible."

"That said," Akira insisted, "we are still Amen'osa, we must enter to right all corruption."

"Not for our duty," Nokoru added.

"But for our choice," Suoh finished with a smile, "The oath we swore the day we met, when we were first paired with one another."

"An oath we kept ever since," Nokoru said determinedly, standing up.

"Until today," Suoh amended, "but... who's to say the day is through. I've yet seen the sun completely set on our endeavors."

Nokoru grinned, "Absolutely."

Akira also smiled, "Yes."

All three looked to the barrier as one.

"How about we give it a few more tries, gentlemen?" Suoh suggested lightly, though made no move to stand.

"Right," Nokoru readied himself, but before his fist could make contact and the shield retaliate, a buzzing then a zing snapped through the air and barrier...had gone.

"Wh-what-"

"I-...I don't understand...this..."

But Suoh was grinning madly in a way Nokoru and Akira had never seen before.

"The magic," he said excitedly, "it's completely disappeared. I can't sense a trace!"

Nokoru gaped, "Truly? Then this is wonderful! This is great! This is-!"

"The tide turning," and a wild spark danced in Akira's eyes, "the chance of fate, the break we were looking for."

Nokoru whooped and Suoh just kept on grinning, but Akira continued to stare at where the barrier had once stood, had once been an immovable force refusing to relent to their struggles, an invincible smile plastered to his face.

"What are we waiting for?!" Nokoru demanded, "We have to go! To save the town!'

"To save the town," and the old sensible Suoh was back with a small smile and a dry tone.

"Let's go," Akira said happily.

And together, albeit wincing a little at their injuries, they started for the town.

Completely unaware of what awaited them there.

* * *

Nokoru paused little while later.

"Suoh-san," he said in a voice implying he'd been thinking on it for some time, "you...you're hurt worse than you let on."

Suoh didn't answer for a moment, during which Akira looked askance at him.

"Yes," he finally conceded in a low, terse voice, "but you are not one to speak, Nokoru-sama. Just how many times did you pound your fists against that wall?"

Nokoru laughed lightly, "Point taken, Suoh-sensei. But at least tie down your sleeves. It concerns me to see those wounds lace so high up your arms."

"Very well."

As Suoh began wrapping his sleeves in cloth, Akira tentatively turned to Nokoru, "Sempai...do you believe the townspeople will ha...hold disdain for our late arrival?"

Before Nokoru could answer, Suoh cut in, still looking down at his arms, "They'd have the right. As Amen'osa, our duty was to intervene on their behalf. We have failed that objective," then in a gentler tone, "However, I believe they will forgive. The central _government_, on the other hand..."

Nokoru laughed like it was a grand joke, "Oh, they'll have our tails, I'm sure. But that's why we keep you around, Akira-kun. You can talk us out of anything."

Akira grinned.

"All done," Suoh informed, "Happy now, Sama?"

"Indeed," Nokoru replied dryly.

They continued their trek and arrived not long after.

"Finally," Nokoru sighed contently, "we've reached the town."

Oddly enough, it seemed the townspeople were already gathered.

"Who are you?" demanded a young girl that exuded an air of leadership, facing them squarely as though to stand as a proxy for the people behind her.

Nokoru removed his hat.

"We are Amen'osa!" he smiled.

"That's just stupid!" the girl replied instantly, not missing a beat, "There's no way children like you could be Amen'osa!"

But Suoh, used to this ritual of denial, was pulling out the seal even as she spoke.

"The seal of Amen'osa!" exclaimed someone in the crowd.

"Th...they are children!" she muttered to herself, surprised.

"It seems most of the power that the Ryanban suddenly obtained," Suoh commented, looking out to the village, "was used to make sure that other users of magic could never enter the town."

He unconsciously brought his hands up in front of himself. Now that he had a good look at them, he could see why Nokoru had been so concerned.

"I guess," Akira added, smiling to the crowd, "he was more afraid of power from outside the town than power from within. But now that the power is gone," he concluded, "we were finally able to enter the town."

Nokoru then kneeled before the surprised girl, grasping her hands, "Please accept our apologies," he said sincerely, "for our far-too-late arrival."

Subsequently, Suoh and Akira also bowed their heads to the girl who seemed to represent the entire town.

"You're wounded!" she exclaimed suddenly at the gashed and injured hands holding her own, then whispered softly, "You were trying your best to get into the town, weren't you?"

"Compared to the pains that your town had to suffer," Nokoru said with a gentle smile, sensing Akira, then Suoh, bow to the crowd, silently conveying that Nokoru's words spoke for them as well, "these wounds are nothing."

"Thank you," she said with a voice full of emotion, hands shaking, "for coming."

Forgiven, Nokoru stood and Suoh and Akira straightened.

"It looks like a Ryanban who came to power through unlawful means has now been overthrown," Nokoru saidbriskly, getting to business, "So now the town of Ryonfi needs a new Ryanban, and-"

"No, we don't," the girl interrupted, then burst into a grin, "We got together and decided!"

She flung her arms in the air, "Ryonfi will rule our town by the strength of its people! And make it the best, most beautiful town around!"

The crowd cheered.

Suoh smiled slightly, Akira grinned, and Nokoru said, "Then that is what we will tell the central government. Be sure of it!"

But all three were thinking how it wouldn't save _them_ from being chewed out.

* * *

After the cheering had subsided, the girl approached the three, "You should stay for a while. Get your wounds bandaged and rest up!" she beamed.

Akira, expectedly, was the first to break the professional demeanor, "Really? You mean it?! Yes!" he fisted his hands triumphantly.

Suoh gave him a chiding look.

"I-I mean...that sounds lovely."

The girl laughed, "Come with me then!"

So they walked down to town, and along the way, the girl, whose name ended up being Chu'nyan, explained what had happened.

"So let me clarify this," Nokoru said confusedly, "A boy who fought with his legs, a girl with no memories, a magic-less mage, and a surly warrior with many black-themed nicknames dropped down into the middle of the market?"

"Yes," Chu'nyan answered.

"And they were searching for a feather, one of the girl's memories?"

"Uh-huh."

"Which was the source of the Ryanban's power?"

"Exactly."

"And they stormed the castle, tore down the barrier, and defeated the Ryanban to regain the feather?"

"That's what happened."

"Then...they were eaten by their talking rabbit?"

"Swallowed, actually."

"I see..."

But Nokoru didn't see the difference any more he was very sure of the entire story itself. Quite honestly, it was a hard tale to believe. Especially the part about the talking rabbit.

They arrived right as he began trying valiantly to believe the explanation and Chu'nyan bustled them to the inn to get bandaged.

"We can do it ourselves," Suoh insisted, just a little gruffly as she started to unravel the cloth binding his sleeves.

"Nonsense," Chu'nyan waved a hand, "you're our guests."

"But-" Too late, she had already untied his sleeves. She gasped when she rolled them up.

"Look," he turned away, pulling the sleeve back down, "It's not your concern what we chose to do. We did only what we desired to enter the shield. You are none to blame. Like Nokoru-sama said, your wounds run deeper than ours."

"But..." she looked down sullenly at the suddenly inadequate amount of bandages in her hands, "all we did was be controlled by that man. You actually made an effort."

"Inconsequential," he replied stubbornly, "our effort achieved nothing. Thank but those odd travellers. They saved your town, not us."

"Besides," Nokoru seemed to materialize, leaning against the door frame, apparently all finished, "this is no time for guilt. Celebration shall ring down the streets, so shall it ring through our hearts."

"You're right," Chu'nyan smiled, "This is a time of happiness. I'll be right back."

She left and Nokoru walked up to Suoh, "Akira-kun will be finished soon, so I might as well ask now. How far do your wounds extend?"

Suoh sighed, "My arms, my torso, my legs, and my feet," he gave a bitter-sweet grimace, "Luckily I avoided damage elsewhere." Nokoru smiled at that.

Chu'nyan soon returned with more bandages, which Nokoru took, insisting he would help Suoh and she didn't have to worry.

"Alright, but be sure to come out as soon as you're done!" she replied, and departed assumedly to join the festivities.

After a moment, Nokoru spoke up, revealing his true intention in visiting.

"I realize we have a tendency to treat matters of interaction with the central government rather light-heartedly," he began casually, wrapping the bandage around Suoh's shoulder.

"Rather?" Suoh inquired incredulously at his wording.

"Fine, _obscenely _light-heartedly," Nokuro corrected with a smile, then continued more seriously, "but Suoh-san, depending on how much at fault we are-"

"They wouldn't dare," he assured in a perfectly casual voice, "even without taking Akira-kun into account, they wouldn't dare break us up."

"'Explanations are excuses', though," Nokuru reminded him, "Only the 'failure' written on the report is what they'll see."

"Very well then," Suoh sighed resignedly, "if we _must_ drag him into this..."

Nokoru smiled at him, "Just making sure you knew what must be done."

It was right then that the object of their conversation entered.

"Almost done?" Akira inquired, peeking around the door frame before letting himself in.

"Nearly," Suoh answered.

"Okay!" Akira disappeared and the other two could only assume he went to go celebrate with the town.

"He's still such a kid," Suoh muttered.

"I know," Nokoru sighed in resignation, "but to sway the ones who decide our fate, he needs to remain that way."

Suoh didn't answer.

After Nokoru and Suoh finished and they were all released to join the celebration, the townspeople offered them food and drinks, which they tried to decline, but were forced to consume anyways.

"This food is a godsend," Akira said with relish, eating another bite of the food in front of him.

"That aside," Suoh said dryly, eyeing Akira's plate skeptically, as though to ponder where the food had gone so quickly, "What do you think of that story about the travellers?"

"I believe them," then in a sour, pouting tone, Nokoru added, "But I've never felt so useless since before I was Amen'osa."

Akira snickered, but Suoh didn't admonish him.

Too soon though, at least for Akira, they had to take their leave.

"Do you think they can really run themselves?" Suoh asked Nokoru.

"I'm sure they can," he replied, "just as sure that I will never forget this day."

"Definite, aren't you?" Suoh said dryly.

"Don't you know, Sempai?" Akira said teasingly, "Nokoru-sempai hates to feel useless, especially twice in a day."

"Very true."

Nokoru only grumbled inaudibly.

* * *

A/N: I know I have been gone for quite some time, at least for those of you who read Sour Peppermints or Reluctant Snake. But I have been busy and the laptop I'm still trying to use without screaming doesn't have Word. Yes, my friends, this does indeed mean I'm coming to you from none other than WordPad. Oh yes. Now, I will be busy with NaNoWriMo, so I will not be back until at least December. Remember me in your wills. Thank You.

EDIT: I've added some things and changed some wording here and there to make it flow a bit better, but I've gone and given myself another problem. You remember me saying about creating my own little lives for these previously flat characters, yes? Well, I'll be shocked if you didn't notice I made some heavy referencing to said lives. To the point I create a few questions. I'm sorry. But I'll make a compromise.

I'll write pre/sequel. I don't know when it will be done or even _if_ it will, but it will have an explanation to why they refer to each other in such varied honorifics, just what is the deal with the central government, and what Suoh and Nokoru were talking about, including the signifacance of Akira. Will undoubtedly include my own brand of government structure involved with the Amen'osa as well.


End file.
